Television has produced some of the most memorable moments. While the small screen is often criticized for lacking the punch that we have come to expect from movies there are a number of shows that have shown this simply isn’t the case. In recent years especially we have seen a revival of television with many A-list Hollywood stars moving to shows for the high earnings and dramatic yet intelligent writing. These powerful moments in a TV show can give the show a special place in all our hearts, becoming a talking point for months on end and give the show a permanent place in the top echelon of TV shows for all time. Let’s take a look at some of the best moments in TV history.
Friends – When Chandler and Monica get engaged
There are countless special moments in the series Friends. Most of us remember when key characters gave birth, got engaged, got married, slept with their romantic other for the first time, or even just ate one particularly delicious cake in the hallway. Yet the moment when Chandler asks Monica to marry him is likely the most memorable and pivotal moment in the story arc. Prior to this point, we had seen the back and forth relationship of Ross and Rachel countless times but the relationship between Monica and Chandler was born out of something else and when they got engaged we knew it was forever. The candlelit set and the moment when Chandler tells Monica to stop talking and asks the faithful question had audiences around the world shouting at their television and in tears.
While Friends has come under some scrutiny in recent years it has still managed to stand the test of time and most modern sitcoms owe a lot of thanks to Friends as in some way they are all copying this great show that showed how it was done.
Lost – The first episode
In many ways, the series Lost changed how television would be watched forever. It was the first high budget global phenomenon that tried to make TV compete with movies. The first episode deserves most of the credit for this change. From the moment the plane crashed the audience didn’t know where to look as the drama was taking place across all corners of the beach. We were riveted by the plane crash but intrigued by the mystery that was slowly unfolding.
Sadly Lost ruined it all by having the worst ending of any TV show of all time (although Game of Thrones came close). It became clear that the writer’s plans for the show had been figured out by audiences from the first season and they basically tried to confuse audiences for a few more seasons before returning to what everyone thought – purgatory. It was an important lesson for TV makers that in the world of the internet it is almost impossible to have an unsolved mystery.
Game of Thrones – Battle of the Bastards
Many have called it the greatest show ever to make it to television (fans of Breaking Bad and the Wire would certainly disagree). Whether you agree or disagree, and after that ending, we certainly disagree, Game of Thrones was a massive game-changer for television everywhere and the Battle of the Bastards was the most pivotal moment.
It was a landmark in TV production as the set had 80 horses on it, 500 extra, 65 stunt actors, four camera crews, and a total of 25 days. It was the type of production that even a movie would be lucky to see for one scene yet it had now been done for television. Not only that but it was a pivotal moment in the story arc too as we saw SPOILER Sansa get revenge and Jon Snow sort of died.
These are just a few of the great moments of television history. We know that all three came from recent history and we know that we probably didn’t include your favorite moment. So tell us what your favorite was!